For those who are continuing (or who are thinking of joining us in the fall) we’ll begin again in October, still on Wednesday nights, at Congregation Beth El in Berkeley, CA.  I’ll post more specific information when I have it.

I wish you all continued growth in Judaism!

l’shalom,

Rabbi Adar

View of Haifa bay from Mount Carmel. Haifa, Israel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This week we are going to look at the vast diversity of Jews in the Jewish world.  If you walk down a street in Haifa or Tel Aviv in Israel you will see many different faces.  Historically there are Ashkenazi Jews, Sephardic Jews, Mizrachi Jews, each of whom have their own nusach (liturgical tradition) and geographical origins.

Some Jews are “secular Jews”:  their expression and experience of Judaism is not religious in any conventional way, but they are still very Jewish.  You may have wondered about the differences among Conservative, Orthodox, and Reform Jews, or wondered what “Reconstructionist” and “Renewal” mean.  We’ll talk about all of that and more on Wednesday night in the Temple Sinai library!

– Rabbi Adar

Tonight we begin a new class at the Osher Marin JCC in San Rafael, CA:  Jewish Journeys, Jewish Stories.  I’m particularly excited about this class because it is an experiment in teaching Jewish Peoplehood using the Passover Haggadah as a text.  My hope is that it will both cover the topics we need to address in an “Intro” class and do it in a way that will enrich our enjoyment and appreciation of the Passover seders we will be attending in a few short weeks.

We’re going to look at some background on the Haggadah the first week, along with an outline of the topics that come under the heading of Jewish Peoplehood.  Then, over the following three weeks, we will look at “Jews & Food,” “Jewish Diversity” and “A Chosen People?”

What do Jews worldwide have in common?  What do we really have in common with the Jews of the Exodus?  How can we talk about “Jews” as a people when Jews are a very diverse group of people?  And why, oh why, is food so important in our celebrations, especially Passover?

These questions have very simple answers, and very complex answers.  We’ll have a good time unpacking them.  I hope you can join us.

This past Wednesday evening, Jan 11, we had our first class meeting for “Torah, Memory & History” in Oakland.  There were familiar faces, and new faces, and I’m looking forward to exploring Torah and history with you! Class members should have received by now a copy of the class syllabus and other “welcome” materials by email — if you have not received your copies, please let me know!

This coming Tuesday, Jan 17 a new class, “Jewish Texts” will start up at the Osher Marin JCC in San Rafael.  We’ll be talking about the texts that shape and inform Jewish life:  Torah, Tanakh, Midrash, Mishnah, Talmud, Codes, and Responsa.  It’s going to be an exciting four weeks!

It’s not too late to join either class.  For registration information about the classes, and information about upcoming classes, visit the Introduction to Judaism page in the Lehrhaus Judaica catalog.

Newcomers are welcome to the class — the fall section is NOT a prerequisite!   To register for the class, just go to its page on the Lehrhaus Judaica website.  Partial scholarships are available for those with need — call the Lehrhaus office for more information.

To see the class schedule, click on “East Bay” at the top of this blog.  This class is co-sponsored by Congregation Beth El of Berkeley and Temple Sinai in Oakland.  It’s part of the Introduction to the Jewish Experience Series.

Image via Wikipedia

We finished up the last session of “God and Lifecycle” with a look at the Jewish Calendar.  There’s lots more to learn, of course, but we were out of time.  Thank you for a great eight sessions!

In January, we’ll return with “Torah, History, and Memory” and I look forward to exploring Judaism’s history and texts with you.  What makes a Jewish Bible Jewish?  What’s TaNaKh?  What are midrash, mishneh, and gemorah?  What’s Talmud, and why is it such a big deal?  Where have we been as a people?  What does history have to say?  We’re going to look at all of that and more.

If you’ve come to this site because you are considering taking the class, there’s something important you should know:  YOU DO NOT NEED ANY PRIOR JEWISH KNOWLEDGE TO TAKE THE COURSE. Join us in January, and you will be just fine.  This “three part series” can be taken in any order at all.

If you want to know about books for the course, click on Readings at the top of your screen (or that link) and it will take you to a page about that.  If you have any other questions, write to me using the form at the bottom of this page.

In the meantime, I wish you all a Chanukah of love and light: may all the holidays with your families be filled with peace and joy.

Chanukah sameach (Happy Chanukah!)

– Rabbi Adar

We’ll start with a basic introduction to the service on Wednesday night.  I’m bringing a handout that I call a “map” of the service that I hope will be helpful.  There will be plenty of time for questions.  Then, Friday night, we are meeting at Congregation Beth El in Berkeley to attend the Erev Shabbat service at 6:30, followed by a potluck supper for our class.  At the supper, we can talk about the service we just attended and think about it together.

As always, I look forward to learning with you!

– Rabbi Adar

Image via Wikipedia

It was such a pleasure to meet the students in the Introduction to Jewish Life class last night!  We heard each other’s stories, and after break, learned a little bit about Shabbat.

We’re a very nicely mixed class, with some members born Jewish and looking to begin their adult Jewish education, some individuals considering conversion, and some friends of the community, looking to acquire some “Jewish fluency.”  Having such a good mix of students means that we’ll have good questions and lively discussions!

I often begin “Intro” classes with a discussion of Shabbat, because it is the most important Jewish holiday.  It is a one day a week when it is more important to be than to do, when we stop to consider and to rest.  Ahad Ha’am, a 19th century Jewish philosopher, wrote that “More than Israel has kept the Sabbath, the Sabbath has kept Israel.”

Shabbat begins on Friday evening at sundown, and it continues until sundown on Saturday.  Traditionally it is kept by refraining from all kinds of work.  A whole body of traditional Jewish law grew up around Sabbath keeping, but for this class, I would just like for you to focus on the idea of being, rather than doing.  How would you like to be?  How would you like your household to be?  Then for Shabbat, give yourself and your household a taste of that.

Shabbat services in synagogue can help us reflect on our lives.  Talking with and listening to family and loved ones can be a real eye-opener.  Turning off the electronics (!) can be transformative.  Spending time in nature, making love, taking a nap — all of those are appropriate activities for Shabbat.  Shopping, running errands, working:  those we can do on ordinary days.

Now, not all of us can keep Shabbat for 25 hours.

The greeting for Shabbat is Shabbat Shalom:  ”Sabbath of Peace.”  That is my wish for each of you.

– Rabbi Adar

Image via Wikipedia

Tuesday, October 18, Introduction to Jewish Life, a shorter version of Intro to the Jewish Experience, will meet for the first time at the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center in San Rafael, CA.  Class will meet from 7:15pm until 8:45pm.  The new series has three parts of four sessions each, and they can be taken independently.  Part 1 is “Jewish Time,” and we will take a look at the cycles that measure time for Jews:  the weekly cycle, the annual cycle of holidays, and the cycle of Jewish life celebrations.

We have just enough students for the class to meet, but we’ve room for more!  Walk-ins are welcome if you’d like to attend one class for a “taste,” or you can enroll via the Lehrhaus Judaica online catalog.  The class is suitable for anyone who wants some basic information about Jewish life:  Jews who didn’t get a Jewish education as children, someone who loves a Jew, anyone curious about Judaism.

Image by Jrwooley6 via Flickr

I am so excited about this fall:  Introduction to the Jewish Experience has three new classes starting after the High Holy Days!  For detailed information and registration, just go to the Lehrhaus Judaica Online Catalog, where all the choices are on view.

This fall is going to be different, and this website is in the midst of a major overhaul, because I am going to be teaching at three sites starting in October:  in Oakland, San Rafael, and Palo Alto!  So if you have been watching this class website from Marin County or the South Peninsula  and thinking that Oakland is a long way and a lot of bridges, your time has come.

For now, you can check out the catalog for class details.  EVERYTHING on this website is under construction for a bit, but I hope to have the shiny new setup ready soon!

L’shalom,

Rabbi Adar